Device for jogging a pile

ABSTRACT

Device for jogging a pile of sheets includes a pushrod extending in a direction towards a sheet pile, the pushrod having a thrust plate disposed on an end thereof pointing in the direction towards the sheet pile, a device for holding the pushrod, the holding device being displaceable in a jogging direction, a drive connectible to the holding device for imparting a jogging movement thereto in the jogging direction, the pushrod being mounted so as to be displaceable in the direction towards the sheet pile for adjusting the position of the thrust plate relative to the holding device, an adjusting device for adjusting the pushrod in position for effecting a format adjustment, the pushrod being variable in length, a device for varying the length of the pushrod, and a device for fixing the pushrod at and for releasing the pushrod from a respective length thereof.

The invention relates to a device for jogging a pile and, moreparticularly, to such a device having a pushrod extending in thedirection of the pile with a thrust plate disposed on an end thereofpointing in the pile direction, and having a holder displaceable injogging direction and connected to drive means for performing thejogging movement, the pushrod, for the purpose of adjusting the positionof the thrust plate relative to the holder, being mounted so as to bedisplaceable in the pile direction and adjustable in the positionthereof for effecting a format adjustment.

Such a device has become known heretofore from German Utility or PettyPatent 75 13 266. To align a pile, plates attached to jogging or thrustrods are repeatedly reciprocated against the pile. The reciprocatingmovement is transmitted by a cam drive to a bearing bushing displaceablymounted opposite a side frame of the printing press. A jogging rodformed as a spindle is mounted in the bearing bushing so as to beadjustable in the position thereof. For format adjustment, the joggingrod, in the position thereof with respect to the bearing bushing, isdisplaced in the bearing bushing.

There is provided, in accordance with the invention, a device forjogging a pile of sheets, comprising a pushrod extending in a directiontowards a sheet pile, the pushrod having a thrust plate disposed on anend thereof pointing in the direction towards the sheet pile, means forholding the pushrod, the holding means being displaceable in a joggingdirection, drive means connectible to the holding means for imparting ajogging movement thereto in the jogging direction, the pushrod beingmounted so as to be displaceable in the direction towards the sheet pilefor adjusting the position of the thrust plate relative to the holdingmeans, adjusting means for adjusting the pushrod in position foreffecting a format adjustment, the pushrod being variable in length,means for varying the length of the pushrod, and means for fixing thepushrod at and for releasing the pushrod from a respective lengththereof.

By varying the length of the pushrod, a relatively small sheet formatcan be processed with a pushrod of relatively great length. Forrelatively large sheet formats, processing thereof may be effected witha pushrod of relatively short length. It is thereby possible that, evenfor very large sheet formats, with a stable or sturdy mounting supportfor the pushrod, the latter does not penetrate with excessivespace-consumption into the outer space beyond the press frame. It ispossible to install such a device without difficulty even in thenarrowest of spaces. The pushrod according to the invention offers noadditional safety risks to personnel, so that any additional andlikewise space-wasting and restrictive protective coverings or casingscan be dispensed with.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the pushrodcomprises a plurality of telescoping rods mounted so as to bedisplaceable in one another in the direction towards the sheet pile, themeans for varying the length of the pushrod being actuatable for,respectively, telescopically extending and retracting the telescopingrods. This especially simple construction of the device according to theinvention effects, with relatively small outlay, a functionally reliablealignment of a sheet pile over a relatively large range of formatadjustments. A stable mounting support can be maintained over the entirerange of sheet formats.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the plurality oftelescoping rods include an inner rod formed as a toothed rack, and anouter rod formed with a slot in vicinity of the teeth of the toothedrack, and a gear drive having a gear in continuous working contact withthe toothed rack through the slot for forming between the inner and theouter rod a respectively releasable and restorable operative connectionfor entraining the outer rod. An especially advantageous and reliableformat adjustment may be effected with such a construction of the deviceaccording to the invention.

In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the means forvarying the length of the pushrod are also the adjusting means foradjusting the pushrod in position. This construction of the deviceaccording to the invention is especially simple and space-saving. With acommon drive means, the pushrod can thus be adjusted in position withrespect to the holding means and be varied in length.

In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the means forvarying the length of the pushrod are disposed on the means for holdingthe pushrod. This provides a relatively simple construction of the meansfor varying the length of the pushrod. Because the means for varying thelength of the pushrod are closely associated with or follow the joggingmovement in such a device, they can be operatively connectedcontinuously with the pushrod without requiring any additional costlyspace-robbing coupling elements.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the inventionare set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodiedin a device for jogging a pile, it is nevertheless not intended to belimited to the details shown, since various modifications and structuralchanges may be made therein without departing from the spirit of theinvention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however,together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be bestunderstood from the following description of specific embodiments whenread in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1a is a diagrammatic front elevational view of a jogging deviceaccording to the invention arranged in a sheet-fed printing press;

FIG. 1b is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the jogging devicemounted in press side frames shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a much enlarged fragmentary view of FIG. 1b showing theright-hand part of the jogging device in great detail; FIG. 3 is across-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken along the line III--III in thedirection of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary top plan view, partly in section androtated through an angle of 90 degrees, of FIG. 2, in another operatingphase of the jogging device according to the invention, and showing anadjusting mechanism of the device in greater detail;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary top plan view, partly in section androtated through an angle of 90 degrees, of FIG. 2, showing anotherembodiment of the device with a clamping device; and

FIG. 6 is a partly diagrammatic, side elevational view of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawings and, first, particularly to FIG. 1athereof, a delivery 1 of a sheet-fed offset printing press is showntherein located downstream from a final printing unit 2 of the press, asviewed in the sheet travel direction. Paper sheets deposited on adelivery pile 3 are aligned in a lateral position by means of toothedracks 15 (note FIG. 1b, for example) which are displaceably disposed ina direction in which the pile is being formed, the toothed racks beingattached to holders 40 having jogging plates 4 linked thereto.

As shown in FIGS. 1a, 2 and 3, each of the profiled or toothed racks 15is displaceably mounted in a hollow shaft 14. The respective toothedrack 15 is mounted, in a manner that it is axially displaceable yetfixed against relative rotation with the hollow shaft 14, in a guidebushing 17 fastened in the hollow shaft 14 and formed with an innerprofile corresponding to the outer profile of the toothed rack 15. Thehollow shaft 14 is formed with a slot 39 extending parallel to thelongitudinal axis thereof and having stop surfaces 18 and 19 formed atrespective ends thereof.

The hollow shaft 14 is also mounted in a hollow shaft 7 so as to beaxially displaceable yet fixed against relative rotation therewith, thehollow shaft 7, in turn, being mounted in a bearing bushing 6 fastenedin a side wall 5 of the press. Both of the hollow shafts 7 and 14, aswell as the toothed rack 15, are disposed coaxially with one another.The hollow shaft 14 is profiled at the outer cylindrical surface thereofand is mounted, so as to be axially displaceable yet fixed againstrelative rotation, in a bushing 16 fastened in the hollow shaft 7 andbeing formed with an inner profile corresponding to the outer profile ofthe hollow shaft 14.

A bearing block 23 is fastened on an end region of the hollow shaft 7which is directed from the side wall 5 towards the side of the pile 3.An adjusting shaft 25 is rotatably mounted in the bearing block 23 belowthe toothed rack 15 and fixed against axial displacement. A gear 24 isfastened to the adjusting shaft 25 and, through a slot formed on thehollow shaft 7 and the slot 39 formed in the hollow shaft 14 and alignedtherewith, meshes with the toothed rack 15. As shown in FIG. 4, theadjusting shaft 25 is disposed perpendicularly to the axis of thetoothed rack 15 and, at an end thereof disposed opposite to or away fromthe gear 24 is mounted so as to be rotatable in a bearing bushing 29,yet fixed against axial displacement relative thereto. The bearingbushing 29 is mounted, so as to be fixed against rotation relative toand displaceable in a direction parallel with the axis of the toothedrack 15, in a slot 28 serving as a slide bearing in a holding lug 27fastened to the side wall 5. A hand wheel 26 is mounted at the end ofthe adjusting shaft 25 extending through the bearing bushing 29. Bymeans of a locking or set screw 30, the adjusting shaft 25 can be lockedin a set rotary position with respect to the bearing bushing 29.

As shown in FIG. 2, an entrainer disc 8 is fastened on the end of thehollow shaft 7 extending through the side wall 5 and directed away fromthe delivery pile 3. An entrainer roller 9 is rotatably mounted radiallyto the hollow shaft 7 at the peripheral surface of the entrainer disc 8.A compression spring 10 is coaxially mounted on the hollow shaft 7between the entrainer disc 8 and the bearing bushing 6.

The roller 9, as shown in FIG. 6, as well as in FIGS. 1a and 2, is incontinuous contact, by means of the compression spring 10, with an axialcam-segment disc 11 driven with a reciprocating swinging movement abouta pivot pin 12 (FIG. 1a) of a lever 13 by a drive of the printing press,in a conventional manner. The entrainer disc 8 and, accordingly, thehollow shaft 7, the hollow shaft 14, the toothed rack 15 and the joggingplate 4 are reciprocated in axial direction towards and away from thesheet pile 3, so that the sheets deposited one on top of the otherbecome aligned with one another by the jogging plates 4 striking againstthem.

When performing a sheet-size or format change, the locking or set screw30 is loosened, first, then the handwheel 26 and the gear 24 therewithare turned so that the toothed rack 15 is shifted into the axialposition thereof. If the sheet format is to be reduced, the toothed rack15 is displaced or shifted in position thereof towards the sheet pile 3with the entrainment of the hollow shaft 14 until the stop surface 18 ofthe hollow shaft 14 abuts an end face of the guide bushing 16. Uponfurther turning of the gear 24, the toothed rack 15 is shifted withrespect to the hollow shaft 14 in the direction of the pile 3, until anend region 20 of the toothed rack 15 reaches a meshing region of thegear 24. To increase the format or size of the sheet, the gear 24 isturned in the opposite rotary direction so that, initially, the toothedrack 15 while entraining the hollow shaft 14 is shifted away from thesheet pile 3 until the stop surface 19 formed on the hollow shaft 14abuts a non-illustrated stop formed on the end face of the hollow shaft7 facing towards it, outside the effective range of the gear 24. If thegear 24 is turned further, the toothed rack 15 is shifted such adistance with respect to the hollow shaft 14 away from the sheet pile 3until a sheet jogging holder 40 abuts the end face of the hollow shaft14. After an adjustment has been made to the desired sheet size orformat, the handwheel is again locked by means of the clamping screw 30.During this phase-wise entrainment of the hollow shaft 14, lowerfrictional forces act between the hollow shaft 14 and the hollow shaft 7than between the hollow shaft 7 and the toothed rack 15.

The slot 28 is formed so that a shifting movement of the bearing bushing29 with respect to the holder 27 is permitted over the entire strokerange provided for the jogging plate 4.

As is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, for stopping the stroke drive, apneumatic cylinder 32 having a piston rod 33 directed radially to thehollow shaft 7 can be fastened to the outside of the side wall 5 on aholder projection 31. A lever 35 is pivotally mounted on a bearing pin34 carried by the piston rod 33. The lever 35 is of double-armconstruction and is pivotally mounted by one of the arms thereof on apivot pin 36 fastened to the holder projection 31. The other arm of thelever 35 is formed with a rectangularly shaped stop or abutment surface37 which is formed of a substantially planar surface portion directedaway from the side wall 5, and a substantially arcuate orcorrespondingly circumferential surface portion, both of the surfaceportions being substantially perpendicular to one another. The pistonrod 33 of the pneumatic cylinder 32 can be extended when a maximumstroke of the entrainer disc 8 has occurred, which is determined by thecontour of the cam-segment disc 11, the stop surface 37 of the lever 35being thereby pressed against the stop or abutment contour of the stopsurface 38 of the entrainer disc 8. This position is represented in FIG.5. The lever 35 then acts against spring forces exerted by a compressionspring 10. As the pivot lever 13 pivots further with the axialcam-segment disc 11, the latter is shifted out of contact with the camroller 9. If desired, the jogging movements can be recommenced byretracting or driving the piston rod 33 of the pneumatic cylinder 32back, so that the stop or abutment surface 37 of the lever 35 is shiftedout of contact with the stop or abutment surface 38 of the entrainerdisc 8. Due to the spring biasing force of the spring 10, the entrainerroller 9 is pressed against the cam segment disc 11 again.

Other mechanisms for switching off the jogging movement are conceivable.For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a hollow-shaft type pin or plug 41having an end mechanically, electrically or pneumatically pressedagainst an end face of the entrainer disc 8 directed away from the sidewall 5 can be provided, and can shift the entrainer disc 8 out of theeffective range of the cam-segment disc 11.

The foregoing is a description corresponding in substance to GermanApplication P 42 20 074.1, dated Jun. 19, 1992, the Internationalpriority of which is being claimed for the instant application, andwhich is hereby made part of this application. Any materialdiscrepancies between the foregoing specification and the aforementionedcorresponding German application are to be resolved in favor of thelatter.

We claim:
 1. Device for jogging a pile of sheets, comprising a pushrodextending in a direction towards a sheet pile, said pushrod having athrust plate disposed on an end thereof pointing in said directiontowards the sheet pile, means for holding said pushrod, said holdingmeans being displaceable in a jogging direction, drive means connectibleto said holding means for imparting a jogging movement thereto in saidjogging direction, said pushrod being mounted so as to be displaceablein said direction towards the sheet pile for adjusting the position ofthe thrust plate relative to said holding means, said pushrod beingvariable in length and comprising a plurality of telescopic rods mountedso as to be displaceable in one another in said direction towards thesheet pile, means for varying the length of said pushrod and foradjusting a position of said pushrod for effecting a format adjustment,said means for varying the length of said pushrod being actuatable for,respectively, telescopically extending and retracting said telescopicrods, and means for releasably fixing said pushrod at a given lengththereof.
 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein said plurality oftelescoping rods include an inner rod formed as a toothed rack, and anouter rod formed with a slot in vicinity of the teeth of said toothedrack, and said length varying means include a gear drive having a gearin continuous working contact with said toothed rack through said slotfor forming between said inner and said outer rod a respectivelyreleasable and restorable operative connection for entraining said outerrod.
 3. Device according to claim 1, wherein said means for varying thelength of said pushrod are disposed on said means for holding saidpushrod.
 4. Device for jogging a pile of sheets, comprising a pushrodextending in a direction towards a sheet pile, said pushrod having athrust plate disposed on an end thereof pointing in said directiontowards the sheet pile, means for holding said pushrod, said holdingmeans being displaceable in a jogging direction, drive means connectibleto said holding means for imparting a jogging movement thereto in saidjogging direction, said pushrod being mounted so as to be displaceablein said direction towards the sheet pile for adjusting the position ofthe thrust plate relative to said holding means, said pushrod beingvariable in length, means for varying the length of said pushrod and foradjusting a position of said pushrod for effecting a format adjustment,and means for releasably fixing said pushrod at a respective lengththereof, said pushrod comprising a plurality of telescoping rods mountedso as to be displaceable in one another in said direction towards thesheet pile, said means for varying the length of said pushrod beingactuatable for, respectively, telescopically extending and retractingsaid telescoping rods, said plurality of telescoping rods including aninner rod formed as a toothed rack, and an outer rod formed with a slotin a vicinity of the teeth of said toothed rack, and a gear drive havinga gear in continuous working contact with said toothed rack through saidslot for forming between said inner and said outer rod a respectivelyreleasable and restorable operative connection for entraining said outerrod.